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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27465139">Not Okay Is Okay (Taught In Their Own Ways)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Music Freaks (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Acceptance, Angst, Angst and Feels, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Bullying, Claustrophobia, Face Slapping, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Jake (The Music Freaks) Angst, Jake (The Music Freaks) Needs A Hug, Loneliness, Monachopsis (The Feeling That You're Alone Even When Surrounded By Loved Ones), Narcissism, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Hand Holding, Rated Teen to be safe, References to Depression, Self-Acceptance, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Trigger Warnings, he's faking it, he's faking that too, smiling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:12:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27465139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jake isn't okay.<br/>It takes five people to teach him that not being okay is okay.</p><p>---Or---</p><p>Five times one of Jake's bandmates comfort him, and one time he comforts them instead.</p><p> </p><p>(There's a lack of fanfiction for this fandom on Ao3, so here we are. Also, why is everyone ignoring the fact Jake has so much angsty potential?)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Everyone &amp; Everyone, No Romantic Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. i. Milly</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Milly forgets her Math Textbook at school, and is upset that she forgot it.<br/>Now, she's glad that she did.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>i. Milly</b>
</p><p>At around 6:00 PM, I was back at school. I had forgotten my Math Textbook in my locker. Luckily, the school kept its doors open until around 10:00 PM since high schoolers are forgetful. As a result, I was here. Walking down the hall and grumbling to myself. “Stupid memory, stupid math, stupid-” I cut myself short. There was a soft sound, so quiet I couldn’t identify it. I looked around, trying to guess where it was coming from. My eyes landed on the door to the Music Room. It was on the opposite side of the hall. I felt curiosity bubbling up inside of me, so I made my way towards it. Pressing my ear to the wood, I finally managed to recognize the sound.<br/>
Someone was <i>crying</i> in the Music Room.<br/>
I took a step back. <i>Do I really want to get involved..? What if it’s someone like Zoey? Or Lia?</i> I fretted. Then, I reassured myself. <i>I’m Milly! Even if it was them, I could stomach them being indebted to me.</i> Slowly, my hand grasped the knob. I turned and opened it in one smooth motion. “Hello?” I called nervously. A small shape in the back of the room shifted. “...M-Milly?” a familiar voice asked. The voice was raspy and hoarse from crying, but it was still unmistakable. “Oh my god, Jake, are you okay?” I worried, jogging over to where he sat on the floor. His jacket was zipped up and his hood covered his hair. I could see the tears that were still running down his face. He sniffed once, then chuckled. “Honestly? No.”<br/>
Wow. That was...<i>super</i> depressing.<br/>
“Do you want to, um, talk? About it?” I awkwardly offered, sinking down to sit on the floor beside him. Jake looked at me strangely. I lifted my hands to feel my hair.<br/>
“Is there something wrong with my hair? Or my face?”<br/>
“E-Eh? Oh um, no, there isn’t.”<br/>
“Then, why are you looking at me like that?”<br/>
Jake turned his head and averted his gaze as he straightened his posture.<br/>
“W-Why haven’t you left yet..?”<br/>
My eyes widened. “What!? Why would I leave!? Clearly you’re upset. I want to help!” I exclaimed, appalled by the idea of leaving a sad friend alone. Jake’s head snapped back towards me, his chestnut eyes round with shock.<br/>
And then he promptly burst into tears.<br/>
Jake grabbed my jacket, yanking himself closer to me to bury his face into my shoulder. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” he sobbed. “What are you sorry for?” I asked softly, wrapping my arms around him in a hug. “I’m sorry for making fun of you guys for liking music, I’m sorry about Lia and Zoey, I’m sorry about Drew, Liam, and Henry, and I’m sorry that-” Jake choked. I didn’t say anything, waiting for him to continue.<br/>
“I-I’m sorry that I also made fun of you, I’m sorry that I’m so egotistical, I’m sorry that I don’t seem to take anything seriously, I’m sorry that I’m <i>such</i> a terrible person-”<br/>
“What the hell?”<br/>
This time I didn’t wait.<br/>
“...w-what?”<br/>
“I said, what the hell Jake!?” I practically yelled, gently pushing him off of me. I grabbed him by his shoulders and made him look me dead in the eye.<br/>
“You are not a terrible person.”<br/>
“But I-”<br/>
“No! I’m serious! And you’re going to let me finish!”<br/>
Jake’s eyes widened, and his crying stopped for now.<br/>
“...m’kay,” he murmured, defeated. I smiled sadly at him. “Now, I’m going to tell you everything that’s good about you, and you’re going to listen. I <i>will</i> convince you that what I say is true. And I’ll keep repeating it until you do,” I told him sternly, releasing his shoulders to pull him back into a hug. He didn't reply.<br/>
“You’re funny, you’re really kind, you’re loyal, you hate it when people make fun of us, you help others, and you make us better.”<br/>
Jake remained silent, though I could feel his tears beginning to soak into my shirt.<br/>
“Even if you don’t feel that way, it’s alright. Being not okay is okay.”<br/>
“Not okay...is okay?”<br/>
Jake looked up at me as he asked, meeting my ruby eyes. I smiled down at him.<br/>
“Of course.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. ii. Sean</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Milly is staring at Jake all throughout rehearsal, and Sean is suspicious.<br/>When he follows Jake afterwards, it's not at all what he was expecting.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>ii. Sean</b>
</p>
<p>Rehearsal was going smoother than usual. Zander only occasionally teased Jake, Jake’s voice hardly cracked, Luke kept in time, and Milly didn’t riff off an improvised solo. Like I said, smoother than usual. But there was one thing that caught my eye. Milly kept glancing at Jake like she was worried. The first time I noticed, I brushed it off. Then it kept occurring, and I couldn’t ignore it any longer.<br/>
Rehearsals were soon over. “Great job today everyone! I just wish all of our practices could be like that,” she teased. We all laughed. Collecting and packing up instruments, we headed out of the Music Room and started making our way to class. “You guys go on ahead, I need to use the bathroom,” Jake said. I would have believed it if it weren’t for Milly practically staring him down as he left. “I also need to go! Bye guys!” I fibbed before heading down the hall after him. <i>How fast does this guy even walk!?</i> I thought, exasperated. When I turned the corner, Jake was nowhere to be seen. The door to the boy’s bathroom was on my left. Cautiously, I opened the door and walked in.<br/>
What I saw came as a shock to me.<br/>
Jake leaned over the sink, his shoulders shaking. I heard the small blip of water hitting the sink bowl. Then, I realized that it wasn’t coming from the faucet.<br/>
Jake was crying in the bathroom.<br/>
I took another step towards him and he froze. Jake turned his head around so fast I thought he would break his neck. I had been right, Jake was crying. “Sean? W-What are you doing here?” Jake stuttered, hastily wiping his face. I responded, “If you ever need to talk, you know we’ll always be ready to listen to you.” He laughed. “Yeah, of course,” he said with a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Something’s clearly bothering you. What’s up?” I worried. Jake sighed before lifting himself up to sit on the counter by the sink. I did the same next to him. “I messed up. Milly’s never gonna leave me alone now,” he groaned, burying his face in his hands. I chuckled.<br/>
“I noticed.”<br/>
“You did?”<br/>
“Dude, she stared at you all throughout practice,” I deadpanned. Jake placed his hands in his lap, intertwining his fingers. “I- Milly- She found me crying in the Music Room yesterday. She wasn’t <i>supposed</i> to. I tried so hard to make sure none of you found out,” he told me, his eyes beginning to water and his voice cracking at the end. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “What weren’t we supposed to find out?” I asked him gently. Jake wrapped his arms around himself. “That I have issues. That I...don’t like myself,” he finished softly. “Jake, that’s okay. Everyone has issues. You don’t have to keep them to yourself,” I scolded him. Jake laughed and replied, “I guess, but...sometimes, I just don’t feel like I’m good enough to be comforted, y’know?”<br/>
“That’s such a terrible thing to think! <i>Everyone</i> is worthy of comfort. And you are good enough, Jake.”<br/>
“...it doesn’t feel like it,” he murmured sadly. I slipped off the counter to stand in front of him.<br/>
“I’m going to set up a mini therapy session with Milly.”<br/>
“What!?”<br/>
“It’ll be like therapy, but you’ll be talking to me and Milly! You said that she knows, right?”<br/>
“Yeah but...I don’t wanna dump my problems on you guys. And there are some things I’m not ready to share yet,” he nervously replied, fiddling his fingers. I took them in mine to calm him.<br/>
“You don’t even have to talk. We can just play video games or something!” I proposed to him. Jake smiled for real this time.<br/>
“I think I’d like that.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Now Sean knows. I wonder who will be next?</p>
<p>If you liked this chapter, please press that Kudos button! &lt;3<br/>Comments and criticisms are appreciated. :)</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There's only one fic for The Music Freaks on Ao3, so I thought I'd try my hand at it.<br/>Also, Jake Angst is now what I live for.</p><p>If you liked this chapter, please press that Kudos button! &lt;3<br/>Comments and criticisms are appreciated. :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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